Eight Belles to this post

In the Sports Illustrated that came out on May 26, 2008, the Point After department on the last page was written by Selena Roberts and was an argument for abolishing the whip in horse racing.

From the article:

• Fair or not, someone had to be to blame for the chilling end at Churchill Downs on May 3, when Eight Belles broke her two front legs after finishing second in the Kentucky Derby and had to be euthanized on the track. So PETA fixed on [jockey Gabriel] Saez, accusing him of whipping the filly mercilessly – he struck her at least eight times down the stretch – and calling for his suspension.
• But just when my inner Mister Ed started to go sweet on Saez, he defended himself with loopy logic. "The whip is half a pound, and the horse is 1,200 pounds," he explained. "It doesn't do anything to the horse."
• Who knows the pain tolerance of a horse? And why beat its hide at all?
• Take the whip away and vanquish a symbol of cruelty. This wouldn't merely be a sop to PETA - it's a move industry types from legendary jockey Jerry Bailey to race caller Trevor Denman support if it can help restore credibility to every owner and trainer who proclaims that the horse's health is a priority.
• "I keep getting told the jockey needs the whip for control," says Dr. Wayne McIlwraith, an equine orthopedic researcher at Colorado State. "I think we've got reins to do that."
• [Trainer Larry] Jones counters with the New Coke approach: "If they want to go to a lighter whip, where the horse would still hear the popping sound, I'd be great with that." But lighter is still visible. It's public perception that empowers the PETA point of view[...]"
• Perception?" Jones said with a smile [...] "I know it's about perception. But I also know some people who say they use whips in the bedroom. Now to me that wouldn't be good. But hey, it's what they like."
• Eight Belles didn't have a choice.

Three weeks later, in SI's June 16, 2008 issue, the Letters page featured this letter:

If Selena Roberts feels that horse racing is cruel because jockeys often resort to a half-pound whip, perhaps she should turn on mixed martial arts and see humans beating the snot out of each other.

Did the letter writer not read the last six words of the piece? Eight Belles didn't have a choice. Humans - when engaging in mixed martial arts - have chosen to give and take abuse.

Misuse List, Literally

Over the years I have seen and heard numerous misuses of the word literally. Unfortunately, I did not document those examples. That stops today. Now, every time I see or hear any misuse of the word literally I will update this post. Also, please send me - via any avenue available to you - stories or links to any misuses you come across. If no link, make sure you tell me where you read/heard the misuse so I have something to put in italics. Thanks!

Here are three literally-relevant items:
1) a web log that amuses as it educates
2) a May 6, 1998 column in The Globe and Mail
3) the following video, Dictionary of Jack: Literally



Here are some misuses I've read and heard...

14.02.2009
Dreamworks animation boss Jeffrey Katzenberg was literally keeping Kilmer on a short leash, sitting next to him at interviews and generally not letting him out of his sight. --- A Vancouver 24 hours article. Link.

04.06.2008
"If I had that game on in my living room, my friends and I would end up smacking each other. Like, literally killing each other." --- Interviewer on the television show, "Electric Playground".

09.05.2008
"What you need to do in a case like this, is literally become the bigger person." --- On-the-street color commentator on The People's Court.

05.05.2008
"The Kooks are literally on a tear." --- DJ on CFOX 99.3FM at approximately 3:20pm, talking about said band's tour schedule.

25.04.2008
"The fans are literally right on top of you." --- A commentator - talking about the arena's seats in relation to the players on the ice - during playoff game between New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins.

31.01.2008
Feature we brag about: “The best thing is the location and the price. We always brag that we get to go on vacation every day. No matter what the day might bring, no matter what stresses are in our lives, we just go to the beach, sit on a log, and watch the sun set. Perfect paradise, literally in our backyard.” --- From the My Digs feature in Westender. Link.

22.01.2008
"... Literally the story is unfolding before us." --- A policeman on Global Television news, 11pm, commenting on a shooting death that took place a few hours earlier.

11.12.2007
“When you take a look at Britney Spears and her behavior, it’s very frightening. She’s a person who’s completely addicted to sugar. This is like heroin for a junkie. She’s literally on a roller coaster to hell.” --- Dr. Timothy Brantley, a PhD who educates patients on the power of food, from a column on the Access Hollywood website. Link.

17.11.2007
Venice High School dodged a bullet last week -- literally and figuratively. --- from a Los Angeles Times column about a school shooting; "only injury was to a boy who fell and hurt his wrist as he tried to get out of the line of fire". Link.

15.11.2007
"She could literally take a sharp turn right at any moment." --- on the TV show Survivor, Todd discussing Courtney's wavering alliances.

08.11.2007
I literally grew up in that restaurant with many years as staff as a teen, and then many years of my 20s with my family... --- posted by Sarah in the comment section of a blog post by Chianti Cafe. Link.

18.10.2007
"Anything can happen - literally." --- chef Bob Bedard on film catering, in a Georgia Straight article. Link.

06.09.2007
[Luciano] Pavarotti, the literally and figuratively larger-than-life tenor whose recordings sold more than 100 million albums, and whose voice boomed everywhere from the Metropolitan Opera to Johnny Carson's Tonight Show, died about 5 a.m. Thursday at his home in Modena, Italy... --- from a Yahoo! Music article. Link.